Hoist the Colours
by Fox Scarlen
Summary: Running from both Darwinist and Clanker forces, Deryn, Alek, Volger, Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman flee to America to start their lives anew.
1. Arrest

Some of you may already be familiar from this story arc from the drabble series, Today, but I found that the idea is too big to fit into the drabbles, so I've decided to turn it into its own separate series. It originally started out as part of the ten songs challenge, to the song 'Hoist the Colours' from Pirates of the Caribbean, hence the title of this fic. I was asked for a continuation, and it just kept growing and growing, leading to the separation. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not Scott.

Hoist the Colours

**Chapter One: Arrest**

"_Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die."_

_~Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Hoist the Colours_

The decision had been made. He and his men were sentenced to death. No trials. Not in the midst of a war.

Deryn had a very strong urge to punch something.

After all Alek had done for them? And what about Klopp? A nice man, if ever there was one. Bauer was a good man too! And good old Hoffman! Volger…okay, Deryn could really care less if they strung him up.

But still! Four of the five didn't deserve this…_All five_, she admitted reluctantly to herself, as Volger hadn't really done anything. Except find out her bloody secret, but he hadn't told anyone. Well, she hoped he hadn't.

However, no matter if they were at fault or not (which they most certainly weren't) they didn't deserve to be hanged without a trial. And there was no barking way Deryn would let them string Alek up.

It was all the fault of the captain. Deryn had certainly lost all respect for Hobbes, although Dr. Barlow had told her that he was only doing as he'd been commanded. No matter. Deryn needed someone to place the blame on, at least for now, and Hobbes was the primary choice.

She stood amongst the rest of the _Leviathan_'s crew, and she noticed, a bit smugly, that not all of the men were looking very pleased at the occasion.

Deryn gulped as the drums began to sound, and Alek and his men were marched out. The British guards led the five of them onto the platform, and she closed her eyes as they put the noose around Alek's neck.

Barking spiders, if she didn't do anything, she'd noose herself!

Without a second thought, Deryn leapt forward, plunging through the crowd and shoving all the spectators aside as she fought to reach Alek. Flicking out her pocketknife, she found herself making double time.

None of the crowd had any desire to face a half-crazed middy with a knife.

Reaching the platform, she ignored the shouts from the guards and cut Alek and his men loose. Darting forward, she snatched up a pistol from a guard's belt, then held it steady, its barrel aimed straight at the guard's chest. The poor man froze, staring down the mouth of the weapon.

Deryn motioned for the Clankers to get a move on, and they did. All but one.

If it had been any other situation, Deryn would have groaned at the fact that Alek refused to leave. Still, she was a bit glad of the company.

Sneaking a glance behind her, she saw Klopp and Bauer acting as twin battering rams, while Hoffman deflected attackers away from the two. When she saw Volger apprehend a sword, she smiled in fiendish delight.

Now they had the upperhand.

Well, not really, of course, but none of them were willing to shoot while Deryn was holding one of their guards hostage. The man may not have been a captain, but he was young, and well-liked, and none of the guard could know that Deryn had no intention of harming him.

"Dylan, stop! This is madness!" the captain shouted.

He really did make a good scapegoat for Deryn's anger in this situation.

Instead of answering, she turned to Alek. "Never shall we die, aye?" she asked him.

"Aye," he agreed, and together they took off running, the British guard hot on their heels.

Thanks to the pathway Alek's men had cleared, it was a straight run. Now, though, the guards were willing to fire, and shots cracked above them. Deryn flinched as one hit the brick wall just to her right, spraying rubble and broken stones.

Quickly, they turned around the corner of the court building, Deryn firing a warning shot behind her. Hopefully that would scare them for a few seconds.

The moment they burst onto the street, Deryn sprinted forward and leaped onto a cab, one that was similar to the all-terrain carriage that had greeted her the day she tried out to be an airman. A similar lupine creature pulled it along, and Deryn flashed a grin at the driver. "Mind if I borrow this?" she asked the stunned man, then shoved him, motioning for Alek and his men to get onboard. They did so quickly, shutting the carriage door tightly, and Deryn whipped the reins, shouting a quick "Sorry!" behind her to the stricken man upon the cobblestones.

Spurred into action, the lupine creature began to race down the streets, and Deryn had to hold tight to steer the beast.

Behind her, she could hear the pounding of hooves as the guards started to give chase, but she had a head start. That didn't stop the guards from firing their own guns as well, and she ducked down. While the Clankers were somewhat safe in the carriage, she was in the open at the helm of their ride. Spotting a narrow side street, she yanked the reins and the carriage turned abruptly, scattering passerby and entering the alley.

The sides of the carriage scraped against the walls in a tight fit, but they soon shot out the other end, onto an empty street. Perfect.

Halting it, Deryn commanded, "Get out. Now." As soon as the Clankers had gotten out, she whipped the reins again, hard, then took a flying leap out of the carriage as the lupine sprinted down the street.

She landed awkwardly, rolling a bit to stop herself, then got to her feet and pointed towards a much smaller alley. "Let's head down there, then mingle with the crowd."

"Mingle?" Volger asked disdainfully, gesturing at her clothes. While the Clankers were alright, with their unassuming outfits (it wasn't as if they wore special clothes to be hung), she was dressed in her airman's uniform, and cursed.

"Pretend I'm off duty," she snapped, then began to stride down the alley, tossing her gun down, but sheathing her knife. "Plus, we won't be in the open long. Now, hurry it up, if you don't mind, unless you want the British guard to catch us."

Alek caught up to her, his men following behind, and Volger reluctantly parting with his stolen sword. "What do you have planned, Dylan?" he asked, curious, glancing warily behind them. Footsteps and shouts indicated that the guard had already entered the side street. They had to get out of the alley, _now_.

They entered the next street, a busier one, and Deryn chose not to answer Alek, instead hailing a cab. "Do you mind taking us to that hotel by the Thames?" she asked politely, giving off a calm demeanor despite her heart racing, and the cabbie smiled.

"Certainly. All aboard, then!"

Deryn let the Clankers onboard first, hissing to each of them, "Don't talk." They nodded mutely, aware that their accents would be conspicuous, and together, the six of them rode through the streets of London, unassuming tourists.

Safe inside the carriage, Deryn smirked as she saw the guards running down one of the streets they'd trashed. The bum-rags didn't think to check the carriage, and for that, she was glad.

At last, they reached the hotel she'd asked for, and piled out of the carriage. Fumbling, Deryn gritted her teeth and paid the cabbie a fair chunk of what she had in her purse.

Walking into the hotel, she got them booked in the cheapest room they had, which was luckily empty (it wasn't as if war was a popular tourist season), and together the group of fugitives entered their room and locked the door.

Suddenly tired, Deryn leaned against the door and sighed. "Well, that was barking exhausting!"

Alek simply stared at her. "Why?" he asked simply.

She rolled her eyes. "Why, you ask? 'Cause we just escaped from the British guard!"

Alek shook his head. "Not that. I meant, why help us?"

Deryn raised an eyebrow. "That's what friends do, right?"

Alek still wasn't convinced. "You're on the run, now. They'll be looking for you! Dylan, what were you thinking?"

Deryn hmphed. "I would've thought you'd be grateful I saved your daft bums."

"We are!" Klopp and Bauer chorused together in the background while Hoffman nodded, and she smiled widely at them. Their English was not as good as Deryn's German, but they could still manage very simple talk, and with their muddled English and her muddled Clankertalk, they could sort of make their way through a conversation.

Volger glared haughtily at Deryn, but he didn't insult her. To her surprise, he said, "I do not like it, but we owe you our lives. Is there anything we can do to repay the favor?" Despite his demeanor, she knew his words were genuine.

Alek nodded vigorously in agreement. "Dylan, there must be something we can do! Anything!" His eyes alit as he realized the perfect answer. "You can come with us, to Austria!"

Deryn glared at him scathingly. "Won't you be recognized?" she asked. "After you got your picture plastered all over the papers?"

The prince's face fell. "Oh…you're right. I suppose we can't go back there, can we?"

Deryn shook her head, about as crestfallen as he was. They were on the run, with hardly any money, and nowhere to go.

Heaving a large sigh, Volger drew everyone's attention towards him. "I'd rather not, but I suppose it is the best option, given the situation."

"What is?" Alek asked curiously.

Volger gave a sardonic smile. "How does America sound to you?"

Deryn blinked in surprise. "I never thought of that!"

"Of course you wouldn't," Volger replied dryly, and Deryn pointedly ignored him.

Alek was just as startled as she was, but he found his mouth twisting into a wry grin as well. "America. Why not?"

Deryn looked between the lot of them. Klopp, Bauer and Hoffman each voiced a quick "_Ja_."

Deryn shrugged, furrowed her brow as if she were concentrating hard, then glanced at Volger, then to Alek, then back to Volger. "How's the food?"

…

Alrighty then! This is a reposting, but the next chapter is new. See you there!


	2. Masquerade

So here's chapter two! This is actually new material, as opposed to the previous chapter. Enjoy!

Hoist the Colours

**Chapter Two: Masquerade**

"_And, after all, what is a lie? 'Tis but the truth in a masquerade."_

_~Alexander Pope_

Deryn had assumed it would be harder to escape the country as wanted fugitives. What she hadn't allowed for were the capabilities of illegal forge artists and the extent of Alek's riches, even unbeknownst to the prince, well, former one, at that.

Honestly, Volger was far too much of a cleverboots for her liking, but for once, he was proving useful.

Although really, how paranoid must Alek's father have been to set aside an extra bank account under a fake name and to which only Volger was given the password? Granted, it turned out to be useful indeed, but one had to wonder.

With passports containing new, very Americanized identities, Deryn shuffled from foot to foot as they all waited in line to board their ship. They had considered taking an airship overseas, but the security was a lot higher, and likely, the crew would have been told to keep an eye out for them.

Surprisingly enough, no one thought to tell the crews of ships. As they boarded, the man simply glanced over their papers, then waved them on through.

So far, so good.

Deryn stepped onto the boat, her boots clanking on the metal walkway. She clutched her papers tightly in her fist, and her eyes scanned the other passengers. None looked to be part of any sort of police force. Rather, they all just looked like what Deryn supposed normal immigrants would look like.

"Shall we find our room?" Alek asked them, and Deryn nodded along with Volger, and Bauer, Klopp, and Hoffman did likewise once Alek had repeated the question in German.

Volger checked the papers. "Room 204, aft, portside." Pocketing the forms, he began to stride in the direction.

Following behind, Alek's men chatted amongst themselves, while Deryn and Alek did as well. "I wonder what America'll be like," Deryn wondered aloud.

Alek almost snorted, a very un-princelike behavior. "If the people are anything like Malone, I think we're all in for a big culture shock."

Deryn shuddered. "Aye, I hope they're not as barking annoying, at the very least."

"One can never tell," Alek replied, looking around him. "You know, I'm quite surprised."

"What for?"

"I would've imagined that Darwinists wouldn't use boats, but rather, I don't know, a giant duck or something."

Deryn stopped dead. "A giant _duck_?"

The former archduke-to-be shrugged. "Something of the sort."

Sighing, Deryn held back a huff of laughter. "Do you _really_ think Darwinists are so daft as to ride across the ocean in a barking _duck_?"

"Not necessarily a duck, persay. There are numerous other water fowl, of course." Alek was becoming a bit disgruntled.

She couldn't hold it back any longer, and quickly covered her mouth as a burst of laughter escaped her. "Oh yes, those genetically altered water fowl," she said in a deadpan, her voice quavering as she kept back her amusement.

Alek looked indignant. "Well, then, maybe a whale. A normal one, or a somewhat altered one. At least _that's_ plausible, you must admit. After all, you managed to create flying whales, so why not swimming ones?"

There was nothing more she could do. Deryn began to laugh uproariously, thankful that they were now in a hallway with only Alek's men, who glanced backwards in confusion. Volger merely raised an eyebrow in disbelief. And he'd thought she could get no more common and crude than she already was.

"What? A whale is very plausible!" Alek pointed out, his mouth twisting in a frown.

"No, haha, it's not that!" Deryn chuckled. "I just can't get over the idea of a giant _duck_ taking us across the ocean! Hahaha!"

"It's not that funny," Alek muttered under his breath, walking slightly ahead of Deryn.

"No, you're right, it wasn't," Deryn admitted, finally calming down. She jolted back a step as she almost ran into Bauer.

Volger narrowed his eyes. "If you two are quite finished." Pulling out the key, he opened the door to their room, entering and holding the door open for Alek and his men, before letting it go as Deryn walked through.

"Hey!" she cried out, her hands shooting towards the door to stop it from whapping her in the face.

"My apologies," Volger said without any hint of remorse, before turning to survey the room.

As all ship's rooms are, this one was very small, making the most of the space it had. There were four single beds that could be pushed together at will, and two cots on the floor. "Alek, Bauer, Hoffman, and Klopp shall sleep on the beds."

Klopp intervened after Volger's translation, volunteering to take one of the cots on the floor instead. "Very well, then," Volger continued. "Alek, Bauer, Hoffman, and I will each take one of the beds. Klopp and Mr. Sharp will sleep on the cots."

Alek frowned. "No, I'm okay with sleeping on the-"

"Oh, just take the bed, you bloody prince," Deryn cut in. "I highly doubt you'll be able to handle _that_ bed, let alone a cot on the floor."

Rolling his eyes, Alek set his bags on one of the beds. "As you wish," he replied curtly, although it was true that the worst sleeping arrangements, bed-wise, he'd ever had were in Istanbul, and those beds were still quite comfy. He shuddered to imagine what the floor would be like. Probably better than sleeping onboard a Stormwalker on the run from the Clankers, though.

Talking amongst themselves, the six of them began to lay out their stuff, claiming their own little space in the room and preparing for the lengthy journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

…

It was nighttime, their first night aboard the ship. Around him, he could hear the gentle snores of Alek and Deryn, and the not so gentle snores of Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman.

Volger sat up straight in his bed, back leaned against the wall. One hand continually tapped the mattress, the other twirling his mustache.

There was a serious problem that he needed to address.

Naturally, it revolved around Alek. Unnaturally, it also revolved around another, commonbred and increasingly annoying girl, who felt the urge to play masquerade on a daily basis.

Volger wasn't quite sure what to make of Dylan. He disliked the girl with a passion, felt she was a nuisance and a troublemaker, who would only land Alek in a position that would force him to abdicate from the throne.

But the fact of the matter now was that there was no throne to abdicate from. Surprisingly enough, this was not Dylan's fault, but Volger still felt uneasy about her. And yet, she'd thrown away everything to save Alek and his men, even, though he hated to admit it, Volger himself. He owed his life to this girl now, and it made him furious.

Volger didn't like to owe debts to people. And this was one not to be taken lightly. He highly doubted the girl would use it against him, but one could never know.

The primary issue was how Dylan's future would play out, and how it might intermingle with Alek's.

Oh yes, Volger knew of Dylan's other little secret. He knew of the girl's feelings for Alek, though they were likely a mere passing infatuation. He'd expected them to fade for the longest time now, but they appeared to be growing stronger.

A fact which frustrated Volger, as there was something else. The man had noticed how much Alek cared for Dylan. And at times, the glances Volger saw Alek giving Dylan seemed a bit much for a friend, though Volger doubted his charge realized it as such.

Dylan made Alek happy. For some bizarre reason, by some twist of fate, Dylan made Alek happy.

That was all Volger really wanted, no matter how much he hid his love of Alek behind a cool and demeaning façade. Alek was vaguely like a son to Volger, and the man did indeed enjoy seeing Alek happy.

Just…_why_ did it have to be this girl?

…

Unknown to Volger, Deryn was up thinking too. She couldn't figure out when to reveal her secret. Oh, she knew it was going to come out eventually, that much was obvious. But when? And how?

Already, it had been a year since she had come to know Alek. It was 1915, and Deryn herself was now sixteen years old. In a few years, it would be obvious that she was a girl. And she certainly had no intention of staying a boy for that long, anyways. Afterall, the secret didn't matter anymore. There was no more need to hide her gender.

But how to tell Alek?

…

The rest of the ride went smoothly. Sharing one room was cramped and annoying, but they all managed, and though the sailing seemed slow and meandering, they were all out on deck when Deryn spotted something in the distance.

Craning her head, she narrowed her eyes and tried to get a better look, then grinned joyously. Cupping her hands to her mouth, Deryn shouted happily, "Land ho!"

They had reached America.

…

There you go, then! This chapter was all your new material, and such. More of a chapter to get Volger's and Deryn's, though primarily Volger's, thoughts on a few key issues, as well as some friendly banter between Deryn and Alek.


	3. Entrance

Okay then! I'm sticking this up here now, but this is merely a reposting, so if you've read this in the drabbles, then you don't need to read this chapter. However, I do promise to have some new material out quite soon!

Hoist the Colours

**Chapter Three: Entrance**

"_Life can be bright in America,_

_If you can fight in America._

_Life is all right in America,_

_If you're all white in America."_

_~Westside Story Song "America"_

Stepping off the boat to enter America for the first time, Deryn decided right off the bat that they were all barking mad.

And she'd thought Malone was a bit cracked in the attic.

After over a week at sea, she, Alek, Volger, Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman had all been rushed out of the boat and through immigration services on Ellis Island. The whole place was an absolute _mess_.

Everyone had their papers in order, though they all had to undergo a name change to slip past the sensors. After all, they were wanted men…and one woman, though that was yet undisclosed.

Deryn didn't mind the name change they'd thought of back in London, having already changed her identity once before. Now, she was John Dylan Warren, who occasionally went by his middle name, Dylan.

Alek's first name had been obvious, and they chose a simple last name as well. Alexander Jones.

Volger was Alexander's uncle, a mister Evan Jones.

Otto Klopp was John's stepfather, Oscar Fielden, whose brother was known as Henry Baker, alias Hans Bauer. And lastly, Hoffman was Charles Ashmore, Alexander's other uncle, on his mother's side, as opposed to Evan Jones, the brother of his father.

All were refugees of the war, seeking a new home in America.

And the Americans just passed them through. Deryn could have sworn they'd check over them, was terrified they'd ask for more information besides what was on the fake papers they'd had forged in London, and was dead scared that for some reason, they'd have to do some kind of safety measures that would involve taking off her clothes, in which case her secret would be revealed.

But no. They were waved through, with a 'Welcome to America!' and were free to start their new lives.

Barking mad, the lot of them.

Now, the six of them stood on a sidewalk in New York City, trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Between them, they had one briefcase, containing a fair bit of money Volger had managed to secure from Alek's second bank account, something that had been created under a false name for Alek to draw upon in times of need, and of which he would learn about when he turned eighteen. Naturally, Alek was shocked when he found out, but was also extremely glad. With the money his father had set aside, they had the funds to travel to America and start over in completely new lives.

"What in the name of barking spiders are we supposed to do now?" Deryn asked, glancing around her.

Volger answered. "Find an apartment big enough for the lot of us. After that, find jobs. Start over. Live new lives. Shouldn't be too hard now should it, _John_?"

Deryn rolled her eyes, saying, "Aye, I suppose so. Wonder where we should start looking."

Klopp pointed back towards the immigration offices, right behind them. They'd left a few minutes ago, but had stayed put, trying to decide what to do. "I see a…table in there, with papers." He tried to somehow mime his meaning, which was difficult to do, and glanced around. The man was a bit apprehensive at speaking German now that they were in America. Even if the Americans were neutral, he could bet they were probably on the Darwinists' side of the war.

Speaking quietly in German, Alek asked Klopp what he had meant to say, or that's what Deryn guessed. Though she knew some German, he was speaking so softly, she couldn't hear him. When Klopp said what he'd been having trouble saying earlier, Alek translated for Deryn. "He said he saw a desk in the immigration offices, with several brochures and the like. We may be able to find out information about housing there."

Walking inside again, they spent a while talking to the attendant, trying to figure out the most affordable place for them to go. Turns out, living in New York City wasn't cheap, but there were some nice apartments a ways outside of town. It'd be an expense cab ride, but well worth it, she assured. Plus, the area hosted a lot of immigrants coming from Europe, and was always welcome to more. There was a lot of work open in the area as well, as it was constantly expanding.

Thanking the attendant, the group left once more, heading for the streets to catch a cab.

Deryn almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the main streets for the first time.

The whole place was a mess, filled with traffic of all sorts. Mechanical Clanker transportation took up most of the street, with strange, thin, creatures that looked almost like a cross between a cat and a horse weaving their way through the traffic, supporting passengers on broad backs above the machines, the tall legs providing an astounding amount of support for being so thin and flexible.

Gaping, the six of them were jolted awake again as one of the creatures, with an empty back, pulled over to the side walk. It lowered itself, its knees folding in to allow the creature to come down to their level. A cheery man sitting between it shoulder blades greeted them. "Need a lift?" he asked. "Only twenty-five cents a mile as fare."

"We would like that very much!" Alek said with a smile, only to have his expression turn to one of bewilderment as the man's face darkened.

Nudging his creature in the side with his foot, it raised itself up again. "Sorry," he said, "I just forgot I have business elsewhere."

Watching him go away, Deryn clenched her fists. That bum-rag. Alek, meanwhile, couldn't figure it out. "Why did he just up and leave?"

Deryn shook her head. "I can guess. Best let me do the talking from now on, alright? Your accents're a bit of a giveaway, and Clankers aren't exactly America's best friends at the moment."

Sighing, Alek did as she instructed. The group walked a ways, down a different street, and hailed another cab. "Mind giving us a lift?" Deryn called out, and the cab driver nodded, lowering the creature down.

As the creature whickered a bit, its cat ears twitching, the driver indicated a small ladder rolling off its back. "Climb on!" he said, waving for them to get aboard.

Once they were all on board, in a sort of basket type thing, really, a wooden box with sides and benches secured to the creature by ropes, the man between the creature's shoulders tapped his boot to the creature's flank, and it stood up. Holding the reins, the man began to chat affably to them as he steered the beastie through the streets of New York. "So, are you all new here?"

Deryn nodded, answering, "Aye. Just hopped over the Atlantic from London. Mind if I ask a question?"

"Not at all," the man replied.

"What the bloody blazes are we riding on?"

The cab driver laughed. "It's called a feliquus. Weird little thing, isn't it?"

Deryn snorted. "I wouldn't call this a wee beastie, sir, not in a long shot."

"True, you're right there, young man. Now, may I ask you a question in turn?"

"Not at all," she parroted his response back to him.

He chuckled. "Why're your friends back there so silent?"

Deryn paused a moment, then answered, "They don't know English too well. The lot of them are from Scandinavia, extended family, you know." Grinning, she pointed at her blonde hair, which could very well pass for Scandinavian ancestry.

The man chanced a glance backwards. "Don't look much like it."

Alek shifted uneasily in his seat, while Deryn answered, "Aye, 'cause they're not Scandinavian. They've got Russian ancestry, but their family's been in Sweden for generations now. Me, mine moved out to Scotland. These fellows ran into a rut back at home, got scared of the war, came to Scotland. My ma was on her deathbed, told me to move out to America. Heard it's a nice place, safer than Europe at the moment. So here we are!"

Grimacing, the man sighed. "I'm sorry, boy. I didn't realize you were an orphan."

Deryn felt bad for lying so much to the man, but it was necessary. "It's okay. I've had a little while now to get used to it."

"Well, if you lot ever need help getting around New York, I can give you the information to get a hold of me. Name's Greg Smith. Yours?"

"John," Deryn replied.

…

Greg dropped them off at the apartment building in the brochure, and they'd negotiated a fair price for a nice, three bedroom apartment. "Welcome home, lads," Deryn said, spreading her arms out.

Shutting the door behind them, Klopp set their briefcase down, and sat upon one of the chairs in the main room. The place was fully furnished, with the main room they first walked into being large, and spacious. There was a couch, some chairs, a table and dining chairs for eating, and a small kitchen. After exploring a bit, they discovered that there were two bathrooms, one branching off the living room, and one connecting two of the bedrooms.

After a while, it was decided on the living arrangements. The two bedrooms with the connecting bathroom had two beds in each of them, that could be pushed together or left separate. Volger and Klopp were staying in one of them, Bauer and Hoffman in the other.

Unfortunately, the last room had only one bed, a standard queen size. Deryn and Alek were to share it.

Sitting on the bed, head in her hands, Deryn really wished that Volger had taken her side. He knew she was a girl! Why on earth would he stand by, smirking, as she futilely tried to explain how maybe she could room with Klopp, or something, in one of the two bed rooms.

But no. All five decided that since the two were good friends, and both young boys, it might be more comfortable for them to room together. She was outnumbered.

Barking spiders.

The door creaked, and she looked up, only to see Volger, rather than Alek, standing in it.

Again, barking spiders.

"What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

He gave her a faint smile. "I was wondering when you were planning on revealing your little secret, _Mr._ Sharp. Or, rather, I suppose I should say _Mr._ Warren."

She groaned, and let her face fall back into her hands. "I don't know when," she explained slowly, "or how. Can you do me a favor and give me some time to figure it out?"

Volger's mouth twitched upwards in a one-sided smirk. "Very well. But if you don't do it soon, I will be forced to."

As he turned to leave, Deryn called out, "Stop." He faced her once more, raising an expectant eyebrow. She sighed. "Why would you give your bloody support to them about me rooming with Alek? With only _one bed_?"

Volger gazed at her, silent. He mulled over his answer for quite a while, to Deryn's annoyance. Finally, he said, "Two reasons, I suppose. One, I presume this might speed up the 'when' of your reveal. Two…Alek is not likely to be a prince anymore."

Deryn's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The count shook his head. "Of course you wouldn't understand. Very well; know this. He isn't royal, nor do I expect he ever will be. If my suspicions are correct, after he finds out, when he learns to accept the fact, your _other_ secret might become his, and then not a secret at all. In which case, him being a commoner now shall further progress that."

Deryn blinked again. Wait, what?

Volger left at last, leaving Deryn hanging. She sat, mouth slightly open. Had he…just given her his blessing to court Alek once the former prince found out she was a girl?

What the hell?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, he couldn't have. Best thing to do was just forget he'd ever been there.

Like that'd be easy.

Again, the door opened, and she looked up yet again, exhaling in relief as she saw Alek this time. Shutting the door, he sat down on the bed next to her. "So, this is our new home?"

Deryn shrugged. "Aye, I suppose so."

Alek stared at the wall. "What about you?"

Turning, she raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"I don't have family at home. But you do. Your mother, your aunts, your cousin…what will they all think, now that you've disappeared?"

Deryn took a deep breath. "I don't know. I've thought about it, but…it's just hard to accept. They'll be worried. _Very_ worried. But I think they know I can take care of myself."

"And my men. Volger may not have any family, but I know Klopp and Bauer do, and I'm pretty sure Hoffman was dating someone before we left." Alek closed his eyes. "What about them? They already had to leave home to keep my safe. Now, they've been forced to flee across the ocean, and start over brand-new lives."

"Gah!" Deryn muttered, falling backwards to lie down on the bed. "Maybe we can contact them after the war's over. A few years from now, maybe. The police wouldn't care anymore, especially if we call under new names. Right, Alex?"

Alek frowned. "Aleks? Multi-oh, right. Alex." He followed Deryn's example, letting himself fall backwards and lying on the bed beside her. "It'll be hard. Even with the money my father set aside."

"Very hard," Deryn agreed. "But there's six of us here. Between the lot of us, I think we can make it. And someday, we won't all have to live together like this. We'll have our own separate lives again. Maybe Klopp, Bauer and Hoffman can go back. Volger will probably want to stay with you."

"And you?" Alek asked, turning his head to look at her.

Deryn closed her eyes. "I know exactly what I want. But I'll keep that to myself for now, thank you very much."

Alek studied her, then rolled off the bed and stood up. Stretching his arms a bit, he said, "I don't know about you, but I think we need to get some new clothes, and supplies for the home. Are you coming?"

Deryn got up as well. "Don't suppose I have a choice, do I?" she questioned.

"No, I suppose you don't," Alek responded, giving her a smile.

Brushing off her clothes, a shirt and trousers they'd bought back in England for her to wear over her middy's uniform (she refused to give it up), Deryn followed Alek out the door.

Their new lives were just about to begin.

…

And now for reviews!

Frogster:

1. Thanks! I'm glad you decided to read it now that's it a full-fledged series! And haha, yes, there is all of America to play with along with Alek's and Deryn's emotions. (Which is what I intend to have fun with later on. ;D)

2. I'm glad you liked that part! For some reason, a duck was the first thing that popped into my head, so in it went! And that's a very good question. I do wonder what Alek would think of those...especially the little quacking noise-making things. Fun when you're in elementary school (which I was, the time I went on one of those) but probably very headache inducing for the parents. xP I'm glad you liked Volger's musings, and I do agree. I don't think Deryn's feelings are infatuation either, and in that, Volger is slowly starting to realize the same thing. They make each other very happy. ;)

Templar Rad: Haha, okay, don't worry! I intend to finish this series, of course! Not right now, naturally, though. I'm going to need some time. ;)

purplerose34: Haha, thanks so much! And yea for you too, for that awesome review! ;D

HopelessRomantic: Thanks! I'm glad you're happy to have more on this story! And don't fret, I intend to keep the updates coming!

Pony: Thanks! And yes, Volger does really care, I'm almost sure of it. He's just a stiff cleverboots, is all. ;P

Irrel: Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like the idea, and that I'm doing an okay job at keeping everyone in character! ;)

LittleSpark: Thanks! I'm glad you're excited!

Music Antoinette: Haha, very true! Why not reverse them? And thanks! I'm glad you thought that was funny! (Especially since I'm not a funny person. ^^;)

Brynn: Thanks!

See you all in chapter four, which should be out fairly soon now. ;)


	4. Revenue

Sorry for the delay! Bit of writer's block, and all that, as well as school and such. (Actually, primarily school. Research papers and the like.)

I have to admit, the plot bunnies have been eluding me recently. Very annoying. I suspect it has something to do with Easter drawing closer. I can't seem to come up with a clear storyline for this particular piece. I keep thinking one thing, then another, and maybe I'll come up with something then toss it, because I'm pretty sure none of you would like it (have to keep that in mind, obviously.) If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

On the plus side, they seem to be crawling out of hiding for this chapter a bit. I started off very, very stuck, but when I began writing the second half, the bunnies began to crawl back. Still have no idea where this story is going, though.

Anyways, here's the new chapter!

Hoist the Colours

**Chapter Four: Revenue**

"_Money money money money moooney…_money_!  
__Money money money money moooney…_money_!  
Some people got to have it.  
Some people really need it."_

_~The O'Jays_

Deryn found her first night spent in America to be incredibly _awkward_. Very much so.

Alek…not so much. Of course, the barking idiot had no _clue_ of the reason for her reluctance!

Hands at her side, she laid as stiff as a board, nearly hanging off the edge of the bed in an attempt to get as far away from Alek as possible.

Who would have guessed that the former heir to the throne of Austria _talked in his sleep_?

Bloody annoying.

"No…mrgfh…sorry…kitchen…fire…won't…go near stove…again…" More unintelligible noises ensued.

Deryn rolled her eyes. Why did she not find it surprising Alek set fire to a kitchen back at his home? Or at least dreamt he had?

Not that Deryn was one to talk…She shuddered, recalling a very real incident in which she'd burned her 'best dress' to ash, leaving her standing around in her undergarments. Come to think of it, she'd been quite pleased. Not only was she banned from ever attempting to cook again, but she also managed to destroy her most hated dress (which, coincidentally, was her mother's most liked.) The berating that followed was harsh, but for the record, it _had_ been her mother's idea in the first place.

Giving up, Deryn rolled out of bed and knelt down on the floor. She lay down on her side, and scrunched herself into a small ball, gathering as much warmth to her as she could.

How daft could Alek be?

The argument had been very simple. Deryn had insisted, politely, that she could sleep on the floor. Alek denied. "Listen," he said, "we're both friends! Dylan, it really doesn't matter that much. It's not like it's a boy and a girl sharing a bed." _Dummkopf_. "Brothers will share beds with each other, and so will sisters! I think…that's what commoners do when they don't have enough room in the house, right?" _Dummkopf_. "We're two boys, sharing a bed out of necessity. It'll be just fine." _Dummkopf_. "Come on, Dylan, I don't want you to have to sleep on the floor! What if it gets cold? You won't have a blanket, or anything! If you're worried about offending me, you know that you're my friend, and I yours. Afterall, it's not like you're, ha, secretly a girl, or anything."

…_Dummkopf_.

Come to think of it, that would have been an ideal, if not extremely awkward moment to reveal the truth to him.

Blast.

(Although for the record, Deryn admitted to herself that he didn't say anything _quite_ that daft.)

Shivering slightly, Deryn curled up tighter and finally drifted off to sleep.

…

"Dylan?" A familiar voice woke her. "Dylan?" Blearily, she blinked open her eyes and jerked her head, startled to see Alek's face looming a foot or so above her. "Are you awake?" he asked.

"I bloody well am now," she muttered in reply, bringing her hand up to rub her eyes.

Alek moved away and sat on the bed. He looked a little sad. "Did…I push you off?"

Deryn gave him a look of disbelief. "No, you ninny. I chose to sleep on the floor, is all."

"Okay," he said, then added, "We'll need to get you a blanket then, I suppose. I told you, it really wasn't a big deal!"

"And it's not a big deal for me to sleep on the floor," Deryn retorted, pushing herself up from the ground.

After each of the two friends had gotten ready and dressed for the day, they entered the living room. "Sleep well?" Volger asked with a smirk, and Deryn's face reddened slightly. Barking counts.

"Aye, the floor's surprisingly comfortable," she replied.

To her surprise, a look of relief flickered across his face. Looked like the cleverboots wasn't too sure of himself when he'd agreed to the idea last night. That made her feel a squick better.

"Now, to get down to business," the count said, taking a seat and indicating for everyone else to do so. He began to speak, first in German and then in English, to accommodate all people present. "We have a significant amount of money in the bank, thanks to Alek's father. However, it is not interminable, and we will need to find a way to produce sufficient revenue to provide for ourselves. For this, I have thought of a possible plan." He paused, looking across at Deryn then continued. "Today, Dylan and I will go out into the city and search for jobs."

This was met with quite a few protests, from Alek, Bauer, Hoffman, and Klopp.

"Why can't we work?"

"We can easily find a job to support ourselves."

"We're very capable."

"Why only you two?"

Volger held up a hand. "My reasoning is thus," he said. "Dylan is a young…lad…and has plenty of experience in work, especially in fields regarding air expertise. If not, he'd be good for menial labor as well." Deryn's eyes narrowed. "Myself, I can likely find a job of higher standing, due to an aristocrat's education. At the very least, I could find work as a translator."

Alek glared. "I could do that quite easily, too!"

"I have no doubt that you could," Volger said. "However, I think it would be wise to keep you here. Alek, I would like you to spend your time teaching Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman English. If we are to live in America, it is necessary that they learn the language. Do you understand?"

The former prince sighed, realizing now why Volger wasn't sending him and his men out to work. "Very well."

"Think he can do the shopping, too, while we're out?" Deryn added, and smiled mischievously at Volger's haughty glance.

He said, "I think we can leave that errand to you, once you've come back for the evening, don't you think?" His raised eyebrow left no question in her mind that he was pushing her 'stereotypical role' upon her.

Instead of Deryn getting a chance to answer, though, Alek cut in instead. "I'd be more than happy too," the Austrian said. "I'll have plenty of time on my hands, after all. It makes the most sense."

Biting back laughter at the extremely disdainful look on Volger's face, Deryn nodded her agreement.

…

Finding a job was, well, about as difficult as Deryn had suspected. Sure, they'd been told that there were plenty of available jobs in the area, and there probably were.

Sighing, she exited the building advertising small flying tours over New York. It was a new business, set to open once the war ended and tourism could be counted on as a steady foothold, but unfortunately, the owner of the place had specifically said that he didn't want any 'scrawny lil' English lads who aren't even old enough to drive!'

Muttering the differences between the Scottish and the English to herself, Deryn walked down the streets of New York, hands in her pocket.

She had to face the reality that she couldn't just find an ideal job working on planes, or airships, or balloons, or even up in the air! Sneaking a peak at the giant buildings of the city, she wondered if the big office firms or whatever would hire her, and give her a desk on the top floor.

Not likely.

The rest of the day was spent searching for various jobs. An accounting job was open, but Deryn had no interest or talent in numbers and figures, and she admitted to herself that she'd make a bloody awful salesmen: "Would you like to buy this, sir? No? Why not? Well, that's hardly a good reason! C'mon, just buy the barking thing! Hey, where are you going? Bloody Americans." Nor was she any good at sitting behind a counter and talking to customers all day, while wearing a phony smile and inwardly seething at the stupidity all consumers seemed to possess. "Sorry sir, I'm afraid I don't know the difference between southern chicken and northern chicken. I'd imagine a chicken still tastes like a chicken, no matter where it's raised. Look, uh, which one's more expensive? Then you should go for the northern chicken. Stuff like that, _that's_ the best taste. No sir, I am _not_ choosing it simply because it has a higher price. Oh, just shut up and buy a chicken!"

Shaking her head, Deryn smacked her palm to her face. Now her thoughts were going a bit cuckoo, not finding _anything_. At the very least, she hoped Volger was having better luck.

Her eyes scanned the shop fronts, when she stopped, finding something interesting. Opening the door, she stepped inside the small little building. No one was at the counter, and she peered around the shop.

Hung up on the walls around her were various paintings and sketches, some of nature, some of people, all done beautifully. Turning away from the counter, Deryn walked over to one of the walls and began to admire one of the sketches, of a strange beastie she'd never seen before.

"…No, I cannot help you! How'm I supposed to find you a seamstress? All the good ones have been hired already, they're all working for better wages than we can afford to give at the factory! Look, I can't even find myself another artist so-hey! You there, didn't you see the closed sign on the door?"

Startled, Deryn looked up, and winced, spotting the sign now that it had been mentioned. "Sorry, sir! I hadn't realized the shop was closed."

The man gave a small smile and shook his head, clutching his temple with one hand, a woman storming off in the background. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just a bit stressed, I didn't mean to snap at you. Are you interested in buying anything?"

Turning from the painting, Deryn got a better look at the man. Brown hair lay tousled and mop-like on the top of his head, and his circular glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, sliding down a bit. His clothes were rumpled and messy, and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his unseemly appearance. Even without her uniform, Deryn had taken the care to dress sharply.

Noticing her glance, the man's face grew red. "Er, sorry about that. I haven't had time to attend to being neat and tidy. Business has been a bit slow, and I really need an extra hand around the place."

"You're hiring?" Deryn asked, a grin forming.

The young man shook his head. He can't be much past twenty, she thought. "Unless you've a fair hand at drawing, I'm afraid I can't take you on. I need someone who can put up some sketches of their own to sell."

"I draw." She said it simply, in a matter of fact way.

Eyebrows raising behind his glasses, the man asked, "Really? Can you show me some of your work?"

"I can come back tomorrow, and bring some of my sketches. Will that work, then?"

Heaving a sigh of relief, the man allowed himself a smile. "On a side chance, you don't happen to sew as well, do you? Yes, I know you're a lad, but my sister, the woman I was, uh, talking with, runs the shop next door, and if you can't, she can teach you. If you're willing, of course. Wages won't be as high as the factory, but they should be enough. Added on to what you'll make if you can prove your artistic skills."

Deryn nodded. "Aye, I can sew all right. Enough to mend torn clothes into decent enough order, at least."

"Perfect!" the man exclaimed, walking over and clapping Deryn on the shoulder. "Ah! Forgot to introduce myself! I'm John Miller, my sister's Kate. And you are…?"

Laughing, Deryn replied, "I'm John Warren."

"Oh," John said, giving a huff of laughter himself. "Well, that might be a bit of a problem."

"Don't worry about it," Deryn said, "just call me Dylan. It's my middle name."

"Haha, okay then, Dylan!" John stuck out his hand, and Deryn shook it gladly. "I hope to see you here tomorrow! And those sketches better be good!"

"Aye, they will, sir!"

"John, just John will do…Dylan. Oh, by the way, how old are you?"

Deryn froze. "Umm…depends. I'm plenty old enough to be working, if that's what you mean."

John nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, you do seem young, but capable. Plus, this is hardly a dangerous job. Anyways, if you come back tomorrow, and I deem you fit, we can discuss the details of your wages."

Grinning from ear to ear, Deryn nodded her agreement. "G'bye, John!" she said, waving as she left the small art gallery.

Now she could go home and give the good news that she'd found a potential source of revenue for the lot of them!

How Deryn looked forward to rubbing her success in Volger's face.

…

Phew! This chapter's done, and it looks like Deryn has found herself a job! And I am aware that factory wages were not that much, but John and his sister and very desperate in their situation. They can't afford to pay any sort of decent wage to a seamstress, but for Deryn, she's found herself a good job, as she'll get to draw (which will earn her money if her sketches sell), _and_ she can sew for John's sister as well. It works out quite nicely for her. (A bit too nicely, but hey! My story, I can place things as conveniently as I want. xP)

EDIT: ...*facepalm* I just realized that the OCs' names are John and Kate...and there was that TV show, John and Kate plus Eight, or something like that. GAH! *headdesk* I promise you, that /really/ wasn't intentional! However, I don't want to change the names...Bah. Just...pretend I never mentioned it, okay? ^^;

As I'm doing in Today, I'm going to only be replying to anonymous users and those who have PMing blocked in the chapter, and start sending review replies to signed users instead of posting them here, as they tend to clutter up room.

On for anonymous reviews!

Brynn: Haha, thanks! Sorry, this chapter might not have lived up to expectations on the whole 'one bed' thing part, but that particular plot point is not over yet, I assure you. ;)

HopelessRomantic: Thanks! And haha, really? Google Ads, you rock. *salutes*

Pony: Yep! And the previous chapter was indeed from Today, so don't worry, you weren't having deja vu, or anything. ;) And thanks!

Awesomegoat: Thanks! Haha, I'm glad I made you laugh! (As I'm really not a funny writer, or person. ^^;) I'm also really glad you like the story! ;)

I'll be sure to send replies to you signed users soon, I promise.

See you all in the next chapter!


	5. Interpretation

Hey there! I'm terribly sorry this is so late, but school has been keeping me busy, as well as some major writer's block on this story. However! The writer's block is over! I've officially planned and outlined the rest of this story, and figured out how I want it to go. Unfortunately, though, it won't be terribly long. After this chapter, there will only be two more, plus an epilogue.

Also, I apologize for the short length of this chapter! I promise, the next chapters should make up for it!

Here's chapter five!

Hoist the Colours

**Chapter Five: Interpretation **

"_Interpretation is the revenge of the intellectual upon art."_

_~Orson Scott Card_

Volger's expression was open to interpretation.

A jovial person might say he was fighting back laughter and merriment.

A dour person might say he had had a bad day, perhaps stepped in a horsepie or sauntered through mud.

A romantic person might say he was blushing, or was embarrassed. Perhaps his crush had done something to bring this about?

An angry person might say he was furious, and wanted to beat the pulp out of someone.

An irritable person might say he was, quite frankly, very annoyed.

Naturally, none of these people were given context clues for the situation, thus interpreting it in many different variations.

In this particular case, the irritable person would be right. They generally are.

Volger was _very _annoyed. His face was almost red, though not quite, for it was unseemly for counts to blush in any sort of manner. Still, his cheeks were a distinctly light shade of crimson, and this did not go unnoticed by the person who had caused his irritation.

Struggling to hide her grin, mouth wobbling as she fought her mirth, Deryn Sharp, er, John Dylan Warren, watched as Volger took the news about as well as she would have expected.

His mouth was tight, and he glared down his nose at her, struggling in his own battle to keep his emotions from boiling over. Finally, he said through gritted teeth, "You found a job?"

"Aye." Deryn didn't add that she didn't officially have it yet, primarily because she was sure that she would get the job. They needed someone like her, who wouldn't demand high wages. After all, once Alek and his men began to look for jobs as well, the income would be flowing steadily.

Volger still couldn't seem to accept this fact. Deryn couldn't help it-she grinned.

The wildcount snapped. He muttered something that sounded quite dire in German under his breath, and beside Deryn, Alek's eyes widened in shock. The former middy herself raised an eyebrow. Barking spiders, what did he _say_? "Care to translate?" she murmured to Alek.

He turned to her. "I'd rather not," he admitted, his face turning a bit red as well. Turning back to Volger, his mouth set into a frown. "Must you be that upset that Dylan found a job before you?"

Volger's haughty glare fixated on the hapless Austrian. "I am more qualified in every possible aspect of every possible job or work ever conceived. _How_ does a boy like him manage to find work when I cannot?"

Alek shrugged helplessly, and Deryn answered in Alek's stead. "It's only 'cause I'm barking lucky, alright? I found a job as an artist-they'll sell my sketches. Plus, they also need an extra hand around for sewing, and I know how to do that fairly well. You-well, you're going to get one of those bloody high-up jobs. Those things take time, with loads of interviews and all that clart, before you get hired. Did you get an interview?"

His smirk returning, Volger replied, "There is a possibility in mind. A high-end company is in need of a translator, and I am fluent in French as well as German and English. By the time I reached them, they were closed for the day, but I might very well likely land a job with them. I simply resent the fact that you found one faster than me."

Deryn shrugged, placing her hands behind head and leaning against the wall. "Aye, well, jobs with menial labor don't care a squick about all sorts of fancy interview junk. Same with cheaper jobs."

At that, Volger's eyebrow raised. "Your job won't pay much?"

Again, Deryn shrugged. "Can't say, really. The pay hasn't been negotiated yet, but I've got the job." She knew it was presumptuous for her to say she landed the job, but she really felt she had.

The rest of the evening was spent drawing out new sketches she thought that John fellow at the store might like. After all, her sketchbook was gone to her now- it had been left onboard the _Leviathan_ in her room, and, obviously, she hadn't been able to go back and fetch it. So she spent 'til the wee hours of the morning sketching some pretty good drawings, if she said so herself.

Grumbling, Deryn rolled over on the floor (she'd officially deemed it as her 'bed' from now on, as there was _no way_ she'd share with Alek) and got up, getting dressed for the day and heading out to John's.

She showed him the sketches, and did some sewing work for Kate, and, as Deryn had expected and hoped, they hired her on, negotiating fare wages with her as well.

Over a period of time, their first two months in America seemed to fly by, at least in Deryn's opinion. All of them worked hard, Deryn and Volger at their jobs (as Volger did indeed land the translator position) and Alek teaching Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman English. Deryn had a fair bit of fun drawing sketches at her job, and she and the siblings became good friends through their work. She remembered how excited she was coming home (funny, wasn't it, how she was starting to refer to the apartment as home) and telling her family (for that's what Alek, Klopp, Bauer, Hoffman, and Volger were now) that she'd sold her first sketch, just a day or two after she got hired on, for a decent sum.

The three Austrian men were doing pretty good at their work with the language, and could manage pretty well in a conversation now. After being so exposed to it for two months, they were gaining a quick mastery of the tongue, and Alek had taken to leaving for a couple hours each day to scour the city for any jobs he himself could take on.

Over the period of time, the six of them grew gradually closer. In the evenings they laughed and chatted, even Volger, to Deryn's surprise. They got to know one each other quite well, told stories, and swapped tales of adventure (or misadventure.)

The relationship between Volger and Deryn softened a bit as time wore on. The former count was less precocious and haughty, and they'd even had a few decent conversations. Deryn had long since forgiven Volger for his tirade after learning she'd beaten him to getting a job, and despite their original misgivings about each other, they'd found some common ground. Both were fascinated by war and strategies, and they often discussed the advantages of the Clankers over the Darwinists, or vice versa, each giving their expertise on the opposite side, and educating the other of things only someone growing up on one side would know.

Naturally, Volger still pressed Deryn to reveal her secret, but he had promised that he'd leave it up to her to do it, and that he wouldn't meddle anymore. Deryn was thankful for this, and told him so, to which he replied with a small smile.

Volger wasn't the only person Deryn was getting closer too. She and Alek began spending tons of free time together, talking about updates of the war, about their families, and shared adventures. Sometimes they would get into politics, while others, they would argue over who win in a fight, Darwinist or Clanker. Eventually, they both agreed that each side had their strengths and weaknesses, but it was fun to bicker over it occasionally, in a teasing sort of way.

Deryn found herself really opening up to Alek, and venting her feelings at times over certain matters and events. In turn, Deryn realized that Alek trusted her enough to do the same.

During those two months, Deryn spent every day gathering the courage she needed to admit to Alek what she really was, and explain her reasoning too, of course.

Finally, Deryn resolved that she needed to tell him soon, and that today was as good a day as any.

…

Here we are, then! The next chapters will definitely pick up the pace, I promise!

Now for reviews!

Nagatochinatsu: Thanks so much! And haha, I really don't want to imagine Alek shopping. Since this fic is from Deryn's point of view, though, I'm afraid that'll be left up to your imagination. ^^;

Pony: Thanks! I'm glad you like it!

Brynn: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the chapter, and yeah, Alek really is a charming _Dummkopf_. ^^

Hopeless Romantic: My chocolate bunnies have turned back into plot bunnies! (Except for one, that I'm currently biting the head off of. xP) Anyways, thanks! And haha, I do completely agree with you there. I mean, if an Indian is dancing in India, it really does have to be called Indian dancing! And good, I'm glad the John and Kate thing is at least slightly different from the TV show. ^^;

Haha, don't worry, it may be slightly sadistic, but I understand your reasoning. And he will indeed be running into some trouble…I suppose I could make his trouble racist, couldn't I? xP (Ah, poor Alek.) Thanks again!

See you all in the next chapter!


	6. Cascade

Hey all! Here's chapter six, and…well, unoriginal reveal is unoriginal. I'm sorry. ^^; But, you know…Deryn tells him. Nothing great or surprising about it. Again, sorry!

I feel like the story kinda keeps going downhill in writing…^^; I'm not terribly satisfied with how this is ending up, and I'm really sorry if I disappoint you readers. ^^; (On the plus side, I'm working on a much better story on the side, to be posted when Hoist is over! I'm making detailed outlines of it, and it's going to have tons of action, politics for Alek, and yeah. Much more enjoyable, I promise! ;D)

Anyways, here's chapter six!

Hoist the Colours

**Chapter Six: Cascade**

"_1. __a small waterfall or series of small waterfall  
_"_2. rush down in big quantities, like a cascade__"__  
__~Princeton_

As Deryn walked the now familiar route to John's store, her mind was in turmoil. She was going to tell Alek today. She was going to tell Alek today. _No matter what_ she was going to tell Alek today.

She'd just…go home, and tell him! No, best wait after dinner, so he didn't miss it. And then, she'd tell him! Probably should let his food digest, though. After that, too, he'd probably want to teach Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman a squick more English, maybe test them some. Deryn would wait until he was done with that. Though by that time, it'd be best that they start getting ready for bed, so really, she didn't have any time at all today, and should wait until tomorrow to tell him…

NO! Deryn shook her head, disgusted at herself. Suck it up! she told herself. You'll have to tell him eventually! Might as well make it now!

The former middy entered the shop and sat down at the main desk, pulling out a piece of paper and drawing her newest sketch. John dealt with the few customers that came in, while Deryn continued drawing.

She had to tell him-but how would he react? Would Alek hate her? She wasn't sure if she could handle that. He'd never love her, even if he wasn't a prince anymore! After keeping such a big secret, long beyond the time it needed even be kept! He'd be so disgusted and disappointed. Barking spiders, what had she _done_? He'd never forgive! Oh, if only she'd told him sooner, or-

"That looks like clart."

Startled out of her thoughts, Deryn's hand jerked, the pencil in it causing a long line across the paper. Turning, she looked up at John, who stood over her and her work. "Er, what?" she asked.

John pointed at her sketch. "That looks like clart," he repeated.

Indignant, Deryn turned back to her sketch, about to defend herself, and stopped…Barking spiders, it did look like clart.

"Is something wrong?" John inquired, giving Deryn a strange look.

Hastily, she shook her head, and said, "No, nothing, nothing at all!" He raised an eyebrow. "Really, nothing's wrong!"

John remained silent, which unnerved Deryn a squick. Finally, her boss spoke, "Is it boy troubles?"

"No, it's-WHAT?" As realization hit her, Deryn leaped out of her chair, sending it clattering to the floor. She stared wide-eyed at John in shock. "What-no-what do you mean? Boys-haha-why would I like boys? _I'm_ a boy! Pssh, you-you know what? _That_ is clart, that right there is clart. I mean-_what_?"

John chortled, and motioned for Deryn to take a seat. She declined, and stood staring at him. Again, his eyebrow raised, and he asked, "It is unusual for a boy to like other boys, yes, but not for a girl to like them. Am I correct?"

Deryn's jaw dropped. "Wh-what-what do you mean?" she spluttered.

"You're a girl," John said dryly.

"No, I'm not! How could-how could you say something like that? You know, that's just rude, and here I thought we were friends!" Deryn was stunned beyond belief.

"It's not your disguise," John said, and Deryn finally took the proffered seat, unable to keep standing. "Really, you're quite guileful, aren't you? From your military stories, I take it you disguised yourself as a lad to join the Force?"

Deryn nodded, dumbfounded. "But then…how did you guess?"

John smiled. "I have a bit of a, hmm, what's the word, detector, I suppose you could say. My sister, Kate." Deryn was still confused. "You see, she doesn't, now, you can't repeat this to anyone! Kate doesn't really…she prefers the company of women, you understand? And she's taken quite a bit of a shine to you. So, you understand my reasoning?"

Deryn nodded slowly. "Aye…so you're saying because she…wait, what?"

"Yes, Dylan, she finds you attractive. A bit strange in her case, I'm sure you understand. In all our lives, Kate has never displayed any interest in men. In fact, she's currently hit by the love arrow. A girl friend of hers-together, the two of them are saving up for college and night classes. It opens up many more windows, and they both design fabric."

"Aren't your parents helping? Or can they not aff-sorry, I'm being rude." Deryn stopped her question. She supposed that if John and Kate didn't have that much money, their parents couldn't have too much either, and she felt bad for the question.

John gave a small grin. "They don't help because they don't want to. They're too consumed with themselves."

"How does that work, then, them being married?"

"It doesn't," John said simply. "They're divorced."

Deryn blinked. Divorced? "That…that means they broke off their marriage, doesn't it?" John nodded. "But…you can't do that! Marriage lasts forever! 'Til death do us part.' All that junk."

"Heh." John gave a small laugh. "Very true. But did you ever consider the true meaning of that line? Does it mean the death of the spouses? Or does it mean the death of their love?"

Deryn found this hard to believe. You could just cut off a marriage, just like that? So, even if she and Alek were to get married someday, they might…divorce? No, no, that was wrong to think about. "Off-topic. Anyways, are you…okay with me being a girl?" Deryn asked.

Shrugging, John answered, "Your sketches are good. That's really all that matters. Doesn't matter the gender of the artist."

Deryn gave him a smile. "Thanks," she said, her voice honest, "for letting me continue working."

John flapped a hand. "It's not a problem. Don't tell Kate yet, though, I want to see if she figures it out." Laughing, the two spent their time chatting, and Deryn crumpled up her first sketch and started a fresh one, much better than the previous. John pointed out mistakes, and together they helped the customers and did a fair day of business. For a period of time, Deryn sat sewing for Kate's shop, then went back to sketching.

Finally, it was time to close up. Deryn walked home, steeling herself the whole way. No delays. Nothing. She'd go straight to him, and say it. Well, maybe lead into it…but she'd do it! She was going to do it! After all, with John's talk (and his calm acceptance of her being a girl) to buoy her spirits, she just knew she could do this!

Deryn opened the door to their apartment, and, spotting Volger sitting in the main room, gave him a nod. His eyes widened, and he nodded back. It was a simple, silent exchange. She'd told him she was doing it today-he gave her permission to do so.

Going into their room, Deryn found Alek sitting on the bed, reading the newspaper for updates on the war. Bracing herself, she sat down next to him. "How's it going?"

"Bit of a stalemate," Alek answered, scanning the paper.

Spotting an article, Deryn found a good way to lead into her confession. "Women's rights, eh?"

"Hmm?" Alek looked up at her, then turned to the paper. "Oh, yes. They're really pushing, aren't they?"

"Aye." Deryn paused. "What do you think of them?"

"The protesters?"

"Well, that, and women's rights in general."

"I suppose I don't oppose it," Alek said truthfully. "I am a little doubtful that women can perform as well as men, but I've been surprised more than enough recently. I'd say give them a shot, to prove themselves. Only then can we truly judge them."

Deryn took a deep breath. "Alek, have ever noticed anything different about me?"

Raising an eyebrow, Alek faced his friend. "Well, you always did seem a bit different to me, yes. But you're a Darwinist, a Scottish middy, and a very capable soldier. Of course I'd find you different."

"Nothing…more?" Deryn asked.

Alek frowned. "Is there something you're trying to tell me?" Deryn remained silent, and Alek continued. "I must admit, I always thought you'd harbored a secret of your own. I am a bit insulted that you haven't told me yet, but you're about to, aren't you?" Deryn nodded, and Alek gave her an encouraging smile. "Go on, then! I always did wonder what it was you were hiding."

Taking another deep breath, Deryn looked Alek in the eyes. "I…I'm a girl," she said softly.

Alek stared. "…What?"

Deryn swallowed, but didn't repeat herself. She knew he'd heard her just fine.

Abruptly, Alek stood up, and headed for the door, his stride brisk. Deryn jumped up after him, and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Alek, wait-" she began, but he cut her off.

Turning his head a little so that he faced her a bit more, but keeping his eyes averted, Alek said quietly, "I need time to think."

Deryn released her grip and watched him hurry off, stunned. Taking a step backwards, she sat down on the bed, hard.

A cascade of emotions poured over her. She felt relieved that she had finally gotten it out of the way, angry at herself for not telling him sooner, angry at Alek for not just accepting her for who she was, terrified of what Alek thought of her now, scared that he might never talk to her again. Was he angry? Mad? Horrified? Disgusted? Betrayed? Hurt?

Shutting her eyes, Deryn sighed. Did she even do the right thing?

…

Yeah. It's…not very good. I really am sorry. But like I said, new story after this! With a brand-new, much more descriptive writing style. I would have done that in this story, but it's…kinda weird to switch in the middle of something, you know?

Also, sorry for making John have such a large role. I just wanted him to kind of reassure Deryn, and boost her confidence, that Alek will accept her for who she is. I'm worried I've made John quite a bit of a Marty Stu, but he's not important, so, you know what? If I ever make an OC that has a big role, a lot more work will be put into them. John's just a little minor character, after all. ^^

Anyways, time for anonymous reviews!

HopelessRomantic: Haha, yes, Volger's got a soul. I just get the feeling he'd soften up a little bit, and if you think about it, if both of them put aside their enmity, they might just get along, you know? Oh, and I'm sure he's got a heart. It's just a few sizes too small. ^^

Sadly, yeah, only three more chapters. I feel like I was starting to drag it out, and, I mean, I could do all sorts of little adventures in America, but that really would take a long time, and I don't want to bore the readers. (Though I probably already am…^^;) I'm glad you like the story though!

The bunny was very awesome, and I'm glad you get to join! I look forward to reading your stories in the future! ;D

Pony: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

Anonymous User Without a Name: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, though I'm a bit surprised you think it's original, but glad you think it's thoughtful! I wanted to give some details of what happened between their relationships as time passed, so…I'm glad it worked! Kind of. ^^;

See you all in the next chapter!


	7. Ambush

Hey there! This is the last chapter before the epilogue and, well…I wanted some action in this story. So, you know, action. And stuff. I'm considering bumping up the rating of this story to T, mainly for this chapter, but really. If you are a five-year-old reading this, ye have been warned! However, I still don't think this matters to most (if not all) of you. ^^

Only the epilogue left after this! I feel a little sad that I shortened this story, but in the end, I think it's better that way. Anyways, enjoy the second-to-last chapter!

Hoist the Colours

**Chapter Seven: Ambush**

_"What a shame, to ambush somebody in the middle of the night. I live in this neighborhood. You never think of it happening in your neighborhood."_

_~Don Crawford_

He still wasn't back yet.

Glancing worriedly at the clock on the wall, Deryn finally stood up, tossed away her daft self-pity moment and walked out of their bedroom door. Something needed to be done-Alek might have been _Dummkopf_ enough to wander far away and get lost, but even Deryn didn't think he could get this lost for this long.

As she entered the main room of the apartment, she mentally sighed. This was all her fault! She shouldn't have let him go wandering off alone! Especially not when she'd heard of such rumors about New York City at night. But how was she supposed to know that Alek was so daft as to wander around the city at night! She'd been positive he'd be back by now!

Barking princes.

Volger, Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman were all gathered around. Each of the four Clanker men looked up at her in greeting, and she gave them a tight nod, her face drawn in worry. Noting their expressions, she realized they were plagued by the same symptoms.

The count stood up and watched Deryn grimly. "About an hour ago, I searched around, but couldn't find a trace of him. I recently arrived back, but I think more of us are going to have to set out and split up."

Deryn couldn't help agreeing, especially considering the late hour-the sky had been dark for a fair amount of time, now, and Alek…it was a worrisome thought. "This is all my fault," she murmured under her breath, then glanced at Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman. If she could come clean to Alek today, she could for them too. Raising her voice, she announced, "I'm sorry. Alek leaving is my fault. You see…I'm a girl. He was kind of mad, and I'm really sorry for not telling you this sooner."

Each of the three men shared a look, then turned back to Deryn. Klopp answered for all of them, his and the others' English much improved since their arrival in America. "We know," he said simply, eliciting a jaw drop and eyebrows raise from Deryn. He continued, "He" –Klopp nodded towards Volger- "told us in the past that you are a girl, and he asked us not to say. Only when Alek knew we were allowed to say. We were surprised, but we have come to understand why. We are not mad, if that is your fear." He spoke slowly and surely, his accent thick, but passable.

Stunned, Deryn could only stare. She turned her bewildered glance on the count, and he shrugged. "You asked me not to tell Alek. However, I felt these men should know. They are not _Dummkopfs_, like a certain former prince, and they were beginning to suspect something was different. It was not necessary to keep them in the dark of your secret, and they understand quite well your situation." The former middy raised an eyebrow at the count calling his charge a _Dummkopf_, but she couldn't blame him.

Alek really was, if even the count agreed to saying it out loud. (Deryn was quite sure he'd been thinking it for a long time now.) Facing each of the men, Deryn said, first, "Thank you. For accepting me. But right now, we need to find Alek! I think we should all head out and search."

"Someone should stay behind," Volger suggested. "In case Alek comes back to find us gone."

"Aye, good point. Forgot about that," Deryn admitted. "Well, if you think I'm staying behind, you've got another think coming."

"I will," Hoffman said hesitantly, volunteering himself to stay while the others searched for the former prince.

Volger said, "Then it's settled. Take anything you feel you may need, and set out when you're ready." Taking a peek at the clock, he added, "After two hours, we should all be back here. If we have yet to find Alek, we can discuss the next plan at that time."

Deryn nodded, as did Klopp and Bauer, and they all left to their rooms. In hers and Alek's, Deryn rifled through her stuff (mainly things they'd bought since arriving in America) and picked out a knife, something she'd purchased a while back for her own use. Slipping it into her boot, she shrugged on a jacket and left out the door.

New York at night was disconcerting. As Deryn paced the streets, lit dimly by Clanker lanterns (glowworms cast too soft a light for a city), she found the effect to be quite disturbing. The harsh light of the Clanker lanterns illuminated large portions of the sidewalks and street, by the alleyways between buildings were dark and hidden in shadow; Deryn shuddered to think of what someone could do if they caught you in one of those alleys.

Deryn felt like the streets would never end. At one point, she ran into Klopp, and they both reported their frustrating news: neither had found any sign of the missing Austrian. She kept walking, and walking, and walking. Never in a certain direction, but making sure not to stray too terribly far from where she knew their apartment was.

Even if they lived on the outskirts of the city, the darkness of the place was still there, and prominent. New York City's nickname, the 'City That Never Sleeps' only served to further Deryn's worry. Bad people could be, and likely would be, out and about, and it wasn't as if Alek had a sabre to bring with him to defend himself. Without the fancy sword, he was bloody useless in a fight! He didn't know how to throw knives (let alone use one) or where exactly to punch a man to cause the most pain!

After an hour, Deryn was cold and weary, her arms clutching herself to stave off the frost of the night, and eyes starting to blur a bit from staying up so late.

Checking everywhere she went, she froze as sounds that didn't fit in with the typical nighttime soundtrack reached her ears: jeering laughs and dull thuds.

Without thinking if Alek was there or not, Deryn sprinted towards the sound, pausing at the entrance to one of the dark alleys and staring in shock at the scene before her.

On the up side, she'd found Alek!

On the down side, he was surrounded by three fairly large men with a wicked sense of humor and cruel mindset, apparently.

"C'mon, Clanker, show us the dough! You like a fancypants rich boy, where's your money at?" one of the young men questioned, following it up with a punch to Alek's gut.

The Austrian's only response was a groan, and "I have no money on me!"

Deryn's blood practically boiled in her veins, and her face flushed red in fury. Never had she felt such rage, but _boy_, did she feel it now!

Striding towards them, she headed straight for the one who'd just punched Alek, the apparent leader. Their backs were turned, and only when the leader heard a muttered string of invectives did he turn-only to find a fist smack his face with raw force. "Hell!" he swore, clutching his likely broken nose.

Deryn rubbed her fist, giving him a tight smile. "I reckon that hurt, didn't it?" she asked, keeping her boy voice and not bringing it back to normal pitch-she didn't want to think of what they might do to her if they she knew was a girl.

"You fa-"

"Aye, well, you're one too!" she retorted before he could finish his curse, and before his slackjawed pals could do anything, she gave a swift right uppercut to his stomach.

The leader doubled over in pain, and, gasping, looked to his cronies. "Don't stand there, get him!"

Deryn may have been one strong girl, stronger than plenty of men and women alike, she didn't stand a very good chance against two such large men, young twenties or so. Barking America-if they had bothered to join the current war by now, these blokes would have been enlisted and off fighting!

One of them swung his fist, and Deryn quickly ducked under it, but his friend seemed to anticipate her movement and swung his own out, connecting a solid hit to her jaw. She stumbled backwards, then lunged herself at the first one, sliding past him and jabbing him hard in the side with her hand as she passed.

He keeled over, clutching the afflicted area. Side jabs weren't always thought of, but were an extremely soft spot, and a generally unanticipated strike zone. The second fellow darted over and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around to face him and kneeing her in the stomach.

Deryn gasped, eyes widening, and before she could do anymore, the second man had shoved her against one brick wall of the alley and landed another good punch-this time, right on the face. If Deryn knew anything, she'd have a pretty shiner for quite a few days after this. If they even made it through.

Pulling back his arm for another blow, a pair of smaller arms wrapped around her attacker's biceps and yanked him backwards. He stumbled back, then turned and punched Alek in the chest, sending him sprawling on the ground once more.

With the help of the first man Deryn had hit, the two shoved her down next to Alek, and let their leader stand before them. "Enough!" he snarled at the two. Deryn spat in response, and he leaned over and slapped her. She gritted her teeth in pain, but held her tongue. "Where's the cash?"

"We have none," Alek said flatly. "That's what I've been saying this whole time." Finally getting a better look at him, Deryn noticed he was in fairly bad shape, though the shadows still hid him from a really good view. Not that she was in any better, though.

The leader's eyes narrowed. "You're lying."

"Are you that daft? He hasn't got any money!" Deryn retorted, staring him down. Using the darkness as a shield, she slowly began to inch her hand down her leg.

This comment did not make the leader happy. "You wanna live?" he snapped. Deryn pictured him frothing at the mouth, and for some bizarre reason, this calmed her a bit. It made the situation seem more ridiculous than dangerous.

At last, her hand reached her boot, and she gently pulled out the concealed knife. "You wanna live?" he repeated.

With a growl, Deryn leapt up, startling the three men, and darted behind the leader's back, bring her knife up to his throat and wrapping her other arm around his stomach, to hold him in place. Giving a stunned Alek a wink, she said, "Remind you of anything?" He stared back at her.

"Now," she hissed, turning her attention back to the leader and his followers. "I say you leave us alone, or I slit his throat. I'm a soldier, so make no mistake, I _will_ do it. You can barking count on it."

Helpless, the two men looked to their leader, who nodded as much as one could with a knife at his throat. "Do as he says," he croaked, and the two men backed away.

Deryn withdrew her knife from his throat, but she kept her body relaxed and ready.

Just as she'd predicted, he whirled around, ready to fight her, but she had already brought her knee up and beat him a good hit in the jewels. He moaned, and as his men began to rush back towards her, to take her down once more, she let the anger wash over her and brought the knife, still in hand, crashing into the leader's side.

It took a good moment for the two other men to realize why their leader had suddenly crumpled over, and they stared at Deryn in shock. Pulling the bloody weapon out of the leader, she gave them an almost wolf-like grin. "Now, you can stay here and continue to rob us of invisible money," she said, "_or_ you can grab your pal here and take him to the nearest hospital." Her eyes flashed. "It's your choice. But knife wounds like that generally needed immediate treatment."

They shared a look with each other, then nodded, and delicately picked up their leader, shuffling out of the alleyway and hopefully far away.

Suddenly drained, Deryn sat down next to Alek, leaning her back against the wall. Her whole body was stiff and sore from the fight, and she knew she'd have some massive bruises for a few weeks to come. But she was glad their ordeal was finally over.

Beside her, she heard a sob, and she turned to Alek, surprised. He spoke, his voice a bit hoarse and choked. "This is all my fault." Deryn said nothing. "I'm sorry, Dylan, if that's your real name-"

"Deryn," she supplied without thinking.

Alek nodded, and continued, "Deryn, then. I'm truly sorry. It shouldn't have mattered so much to me that you are a girl! You have always been one, as the friend I had with me on the _Leviathan_, and my overreaction led us into this mess. And you-" he looked at her "-well, I deserved what I got, but you fought to save _me_, the ungrateful friend, and got all beat up and injured on my selfish actions! Dylan. Deryn. Will you ever forgive me?"

Even without the streetlights, Deryn could see his pleading eyes by the light of the moon, and she mulled over his words. From the sounds of it, he'd accepted her for who she was already, though his decision had probably been so soon thanks to the incident of the night.

Still…Deryn wasn't sure how to respond, but she knew she had to. She could feel Alek tensing up as the silence stretched, and she had yet to answer. "Deryn…" he murmured softly, his voice tinged with hope and guilt.

If he could accept who she was, maybe he might accept her forgiveness as well. At least, the way she wanted to forgive him.

"Please," he whispered, and this did it.

Understanding the risks of what she was about to do, but steeling herself to do it anyway, Deryn leaned across the small gap between herself and Alek and gently pressed her lips to his. She felt him stiffen under her touch, and imagined his eyes were wide open, but slowly he relaxed, and sank into the delicate contact between them.

Deryn pulled back from the kiss, something she'd been wanting for so long, and watched Alek, eyes searching his face for any sign of what he thought of her actions. Did he disapprove? Had she just destroyed any chances she might have had with him?

Now it was her face pleading for his forgiveness. Alek's eyes lingered on hers, before he closed the gap once more and forgave Deryn the way she'd forgiven him.

Their second kiss, as gentle as the first, ended, and they both smiled small smiles at each other, beat up and bruised but happy beyond belief.

Instead of breaking the silence, Deryn hauled herself to her feet, and helped Alek up as well. His ordeal had been longer and more painful than hers, and a kick in the shin caused him to limp a bit. Placing his arm around her shoulders, she helped him walk, providing a solid crutch for him to use.

Still saying nothing, comfortable in their wordless conversation, Deryn and Alek headed home.

…

There we go! Only the epilogue to come now, which I hope to have out soon, but, you know, studying for my first ever AP exam (eep!) comes first. ^^;

Also, has no one yet noticed the title pattern yet? Just curious to see if you guys've gotten it. D

Props to Holly Marie Fowl for already guessing an idea of what was going to happen in this chapter! Yes, Alek is that stupid to wander New York at night. But it all works out in the end!

Now for anonymous reviews!

Cambelle: Thanks! I'm glad you like the story, and ever since I started the idea, I thought it would be fun to expand on it. It is a different kind of 'what if' and I'm glad you like it!

And haha, really? It's not a very good reveal, though. I mean, she just tells him, after leading into it, and he leaves to go think about. But I'm glad you like it! Thanks again!

Pony: Thanks! Haha, yeah, sort of a cliffhanger, especially if you sorta guessed something bad was going to happen. Glad you like it!

Brynn: Thanks! Haha, er, yeah, I have a tendency to beat myself up over things. It really is true when they say artists only see the mistakes. And gosh no, I'd never quit this story! I never had any intentions to! (If you're, uh, referring to my first couple of stories on that are discontinued, those were written without any plans, and when I was super busy and pretty inexperienced with and how to write and plan a series. Hoist isn't a good example of that, but I'm slowly learning from my mistakes, and I don't ever intend to discontinue anything ever again.^^) Thanks for the advice, and the wake-up call. I kinda need it. ^^;

See you all in the epilogue!


	8. Epilogue

I'm terribly, terribly sorry for taking so long to update and finish this! Even though I got the AP exam knocked out, I've had the rest of my classes to worry about. However, I've only got one exam left. ;) So, after kicking my writer's block away and sitting down, I finally managed to let this epilogue flow out. A bit choppy, and probably leaves a few questions, but remember, this isn't an ending. You get to sort of guess what goes on past this point. But that's what fun about stories, isn't it?

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Epilogue

"_I __wanted a perfect ____ending__. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and ____end__."_

_~Gilda Radner_

Deryn watched, with a slight amount of pride, as Alek navigated the U.S. money flawlessly and paid the cab driver his dues. Getting used to the American coins and bills had certainly taken some practice, but they'd both managed it. Deryn had taken to it a squick easier than Alek, but then again, she'd been handling the money more. (She didn't trust him with stuff after he proved his _Dummkopf_ness by wandering New York City at night. She felt it'd be a lot harder to rob her than him.)

As the cab sped off, she and Alek turned together to look at the house in a new light. Because it wasn't just any old house anymore. It was _theirs_. Struck by impulse, Deryn grabbed Alek and pecked him on the lips. He stared at her, then broke out into a smile, before turning back to survey the house. "It's really ours, isn't it?"

"Aye," Deryn replied. It wasn't a grand palace or anything (like Alek was probably used to) but it was better than an apartment shared with five other people, and it was a place just for them. Maybe it would be shared by others as time passed, but Deryn really didn't want to think about that.

The house itself was two stories, a big bargain for a fairly cheap price. The top floor was smaller, and overall, the house was about average size. Nothing big, nothing small, just…average and plain. But nice. Cozy. She and Alek had already toured the house before buying, and had fallen in love with the place from the first step.

Reaching out, Alek took Deryn's hand in his, and they walked side by side down the sidewalk to the front door and into the house. "I still can't believe it's ours," Deryn murmured, rubbing her hand across the stair banister.

Alek laughed and scooped Deryn up in his arms, spinning her around. Deryn's eyes widened in shock, and she stuck her tongue out at Alek. "Barking spiders, you've actually been doing those exercises I told you!"

"Yep!" he replied happily. "I bet I'm stronger than you now!"

He instantly regretted it. Deryn began to struggle against his grip, saying, "Put me down, or I'll force you to. Then I'll pick you up myself and toss you right out this door and keep the house all to myself." Alek quickly set her down and put his hands in the air. "And to prove a point…" Deryn lunged forward, wrapped her arms around Alek's waist, and lifted him up in the air, just as he'd done to her earlier.

Walking with the burden, she left through the front door and dumped him on the lawn. "I'm stronger than you, and don't you ever forget it!" Deryn said, her eyes twinkling in mirth.

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Alek picked himself up off the ground and dusted himself off. "Fine, fine." He came to stand next to her.

Deryn flashed him a wicked grin. "I'm also taller," she reminded him.

He pouted. It was true that though they'd both grown up in the five years they'd been in America, Deryn had remained, and would likely always remain, taller than Alek, a fact which continued to irk him. Deryn gave him a slap on the back. "No worries, dear husband!" she said. "I can always buy you a nice pair of those high heel thingies."

Alek looked at her, aghast, and Deryn burst out laughing. "Honestly, Alek, you can be quite daft at times, you know that?"

"So I've been told," he grumbled, and punched Deryn lightly, a habit he'd picked up from her.

"Barking sod, keep your paws off my sister while I'm here! We clear?"

Startled, Alek and Deryn spun towards the sidewalk, and Deryn burst out into a huge grin. "Jaspert!" she exclaimed, and ran forward into his open arms. They hugged for a few moments before Alek coughed nervously behind them. Deryn pulled back. "How's Ma?" she asked. "And how're Klopp and Hoffman? Do you have any news?"

"Slow down, Deryn!" Jaspert said, holding his hands out in a 'stop' gesture. "Ma's doing fine. She's a bit worried, but she's come to terms with you being on your own. Certainly did her a fair bit of good when that letter arrived last year, and then when I came to check how you were. After all, having a child wanted for treason does tend to freak out most moms." He gave her a cheeky grin. "Anyways, Klopp's back with his family, they've gotten new names, and Hoffman's dating the same girl again. She waited all this time, can you believe it?" Jaspert shook his head in amazement.

Deryn didn't ask about Volger or Bauer, because she knew exactly where they were. About a block away, there was a similar house, which they'd purchased for themselves. Over the years, Volger had become more and more of a friend (or a grumpy uncle) to the young Bauer (whom Alek had been mistaken about when saying he had a family), and the two were working together. Bauer had even gotten himself an American girlfriend, and was quite fluent in English. Apart from the accent, his English was perfect, and even then, his girlfriend said the accent made him more attractive.

Deryn couldn't complain. She had to admit, she had a slight partiality to men with Austrian accents.

With a sly grin, Jaspert suddenly ducked down and pressed his ear to Deryn's stomach. "So, how's the baby?"

Rolling her eyes, Deryn shoved him away. "I'm not pregnant," she told her brother, shaking her head.

Jaspert flashed her a grin. "Not _yet_," he said. "But I'm sure it's not for lack of trying, eh?" He bumped his elbow to hers and raised his eyebrows.

Deryn flushed red, as did Alek. "We don't want any children _now_!" Deryn protested.

Jaspert shrugged. "Suit yourself. Oh, hey, if you ever have a boy, name him Jaspert, won't you?"

"No thanks," Deryn replied dryly.

"How 'bout Dylan?"

Alek snorted, and Deryn turned to glare at him. "I doubt that either."

Jaspert threw up his hands. "Fine! What would you name a girl, then?"

Deryn shared a glance with Alek, then said, together with him, "Sophie."

Jaspert pondered this. His eyes alit as he came up with an idea. "Sophie's a good name for a girl, and, continuing the pattern, how about Franz?"

Alek and Deryn shook their heads. Alek answered, "We've decided it's too German, unfortunately."

"Hmmm…" Jaspert scratched his head in thought. "Then…" He hesitated. "What about Artemis?"

Deryn stiffened at the mention of her dead father, then slowly smiled as she mulled it over. "Da would like that, wouldn't he?"

"I bet he would."

She turned to Alek. Before she could say anything, he nodded. "I like it too." With a second thought, he added, "But we're not having kids yet!"

Jaspert huffed in laughter. "_Yet_."

"Bum-rag!" Deryn shouted, lunging for her brother to tackle him to the ground. He darted out of her reach, and continued to tease her. Alek just shook his head in amusement at their antics.

America was turning out all right for the both of them.

FIN

Deryn waved her arms at the screen. "Hellooo? Aren't you going to explain the other stuff to them?"

"…"

"Oh, come on. Like how our last names are now both Sharp, because Ferdinand was too conspicuous. Or how Alek's got a pretty darn good job as a teacher of both German and Latin. Or how I'm a test pilot. Seriously? You just couldn't find room for that in the story?"

Alek coughed gently beside her, causing her to turn to him. "Um, Deryn, you're breaking the fourth wall."

Deryn whirled back around to face the screen. "Oh, uh, right. That…pretend I never said anything. Umm…barking spiders! Alek, help me out here!"

"Just let the author put another end thing, or whatever," Alek suggested.

"Oh, uh, right. Well, you know, we live happily ever after…ish. Except for the police tracking us to America. But let's not get into that now, shall we?"

"Deryn…" Alek began.

"Aye, I'm going! Put the thingie up again, all right?"

FIN (again)

…Ummm…yes. Sorry. I ended the chapter, then realized that I'd left out a whole bunch of information that I'd had planned out ahead of time. I figured I'd put in the author's note, but then I decided I'd be tiniest bit creative, you know? Notice, though, I wouldn't dare actually put myself talking with the characters. They're too good for me. xP

Anyways, _Hoist_ is done! I know, I can't believe it either! I feel this, as an epilogue, was a bit weak, but eh. It's not too bad, right? ;P

Also, remember that fic I was talking about? Well, don't expect anything new from me for a couple of weeks or so. 'Cause, uh, my family's leaving on vacation tomorrow, so, you can see how this poses a problem to fanfiction access, as well as writing, no? (I write on the computer, so, yeah. I'll bring a journal, though, I promise! Doubt I'll work on much, though. I'll be in Disney! It takes priority. xP)

Oh, and props to Jaybird45 for getting the title thing! I guess all it took was a little prompting, hm? But she correctly noticed that the chapter titles, if you take the first letter from each, spell America. ;) Except, you know, discounting the epilogue. Americae. Yeah, just ignore the last 'e'. xP

Now for anonymous reviews:

Brynn:

1. Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked the balance of the chapter! ;)

2. It's not over yet! Well, okay, now it is, but still. xP I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I'm glad you're looking forward to my next fic!

HopelessRomantic: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the callback, and yep, they kissed! Haha, you've been thinking about these sorts of scenarios? (You know, I really am looking forward to you getting an account and writing some stories of your own. ;D) And yep, Deryn has guts. Also, that's a very good observation. Beating up people _is_ quite normal for Deryn, isn't it? And aww, don't miss Hoist! I shall have better out, I promise! This story's really a bit more of a stepping stone. Now that I've proved to myself that I can write a full-fledged fic, I'm going to head into longer, more complicated stuff and really work on my writing. I've got to work on my descriptions. ^^; Thanks for reading, and I'm glad you've enjoyed Hoist!

Pony: Thanks so much!

Well, it's been a fun time! **A huge thanks to all who've faved and/or alerted this story, and an even bigger thanks to all you wonderful reviewers!** I had a blast writing this, and I hope you had fun reading it!

But really, this is only the beginning of the many fics I plan to barrage this section with. ;)

Have a good summer!


End file.
